1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to safety helmets for bicyclists, and more particularly to a safety helmet combined with a miniature public address (PA) system making it possible for riding bicyclists to broadcast to those in the hearing range of the system.
2. Status of Prior Art
The above-identified copending patent application, Ser. No. 08/827,949 discloses a bicycle having incorporated in its frame a battery power pack for supplying operating power to bicycle accessories, such as head and tail lights. The bicycle power pack is also capable of supplying power to a safety helmet worn by a bicyclist, the helmet being equipped with a radio and safety lights.
In my above-identified copending application Ser. No. 08/958,339, there is disclosed an interactive safety helmet for a bicyclist, making it possible for a group of bicyclists wearing like helmets to communicate with each other and thereby coordinate their activities. The helmet is formed by an outer shell shaped to fit onto the head of the bicyclists and an inner cushioning liner having a pair of miniature loud speakers embedded therein at opposing sides adjacent the ears of the bicyclist. Extending from the shell is a gooseneck supporting a microphone at a position adjacent the mouth of the bicyclist.
Mounted on the shell is a miniature radio transceiver whose transmitter section is coupled to the microphone and whose receiver section is coupled to the loud speakers; the transceiver being connected by a line extending from the helmet to an external battery power pack, such as a power pack incorporated in the frame of the bicycle. In operation, each bicyclist wearing the helmet can, by talking into the microphone and listening to the loud speakers, interact with other bicyclists in the group. The helmet is also provided on either side thereof with an LED flashing safety light powered by the same power pack.
Though a safety helmet provided with a transceiver makes it possible for a bicyclist to communicate with similarly equipped bicyclists, the bicyclist wearing this helmet lacks the ability to broadcast directly to pedestrians, to fellow bicyclists who are not provided with a transceiver, and other nearby individuals.
For example, should the bicyclist wearing the helmet wish to inform a fellow bicyclist riding on an adjacent bicycle that he intends to veer off the road, he can only be heard by the fellow bicyclist if he shouts this message. But even this he may not be heard, particularly if the road is heavily travelled and noisy. Or the bicyclist seeing that he is approaching a pedestrian on the road may wish to warn the pedestrian to get out of the way, yet the pedestrian is unable to hear the bicyclist.
Since the invention combines a safety helmet with a miniature public address PA system which functions somewhat in the manner of a bullhorn. A conventional PA system installed in a public area consists of a microphone coupled to the input of an amplifier whose output is applied to a loud speaker. If an a-c power outlet is not available in the public area, then a battery power pack must be provided to power the amplifier.
A bullhorn is effectively a self-contained miniature PA system in which the microphone is placed at the mouth piece of a horn having an amplifier, a loud speaker and a battery power pack installed therein, the horn acting to acoustically amplify the output of the loud speaker.
While a bicyclist wearing a helmet could use a bullhorn to broadcast messages to those in the hearing range of this horn, its use by a riding bicyclist is impractical. There is no place on a bicycle to put a horn when it is not in use, and when the horn is in use, it must be grasped by at least one hand of the bicyclist who normally requires both hands to hold the handlebars of the bicycle.